Gravity
by JennyBoone
Summary: What happens when you are on top of the world and a single incident brings you back?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Free Time

Ginny looked up from reading her book, "Amazing Quidditch Secrets and the People Who Exposed Them." She had the unpleasant feeling that someone was watching her. She scanned the library looking for someone who's eyes or body would jerk straight as she looked at them, an obvious sign that they had been watching her. As Ginny looked at the people working and writing at the oak tables directly across from her, she heard Draco Malfoy whispering somewhere on her right. Ginny slowly turned her head towards the now snickering voice. "There," she thought, as she spotted Malfoy sitting in the balcony with Blaise Zambini, textbooks and parchments scattered in front of them. Malfoy stopped his snickering and met her gaze as Blaise continued to chuckle. Ginny and Malfoy stared at each other for several seconds, just looking each other in the eyes, then Malfoy sneered and broke his gaze, looking back at Blaise. Ginny smiled thinking, "Ha! I stared down Malfoy! He probably was embarrassed from looking, much less staring at a Weasley. Whoa. Where did that thought come from? I don't know that he was staring at me. And why do I have the feeling that he was staring at me? Oh well, I want to finish this book before Professor Binn's History class." She ceased smiling and returned to reading her book.

Yes, Malfoy had been the one staring at her. Blaise had noticed at once and Malfoy had said that he was trying to decide the exact shade of Ginny's hair, raw meat or burnt carrot? Which had resulted in Blaise's chuckling and his snickering. Malfoy watched Blaise continue chuckling for a few seconds, then he glanced down at the parchment directly in front of him. He had written across the top: "Top Ten Most Obnoxious Girls From Various Houses" under those words was the following list: 1. Hermione Granger, 2. The pretty Patil, 3. The other Patil (Yeah, their twins, but still!), 4. Pansy Parkinson, 5. Lavender Brown, 6. Hannah Abbott, 7. Luna Lovegood, 8. Neville Longbottom (at least he acts like a girl), 9. Susan Bones, 10. ….." Malfoy picked up his quill and quickly wrote in Ginny Weasley's name in the number ten spot. Malfoy looked up and stared at Ginny again. "It puzzles me," Malfoy thought, "how Ginny can be so annoying, and yet intrigue me so." Blaise finally quit chuckling and returned to working on his astronomy essay on this month's positions of the planets. Malfoy stole one last look at Ginny, ignoring the impulse to stare and the odd feeling's the sight of her induced, then Draco Malfoy did the unthinkable, he began his Advanced Runes essay on ways to translate runes. Malfoy had entered the class partly to learn skills essential to his future, and partly to annoy Hermione Granger, who was in his class. Hermione could not stand how Malfoy could just enter the class, and know just as much as her, even though she had been in the class longer. Malfoy knew this by the unpleasant looks she gave him in class, when the teacher called upon him to give answers and not her. Malfoy shook his head to rid himself of thoughts of Granger, then continued on his essay.

Harry and Ron were engaged in a heated wizarding chess game in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was using the free time between lunch and the next class to reread "Hogwarts: A History" for the eight-billionth time. Ron looked up suddenly and stared at Harry.

"Checkmate, Harry," Ron said cheerfully. Harry grumbled something about cheating and Hermione. "What was that Harry?" Ron asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just said that you probably wouldn't cheat if you played Hermione," Harry said as he looked Ron in the eyes.

Ron's cheeks went slightly pink and he said, " I wouldn't if I played Hermione. Uh, I mean…." Ron's whole face was turning red now.

"I know, I know," Harry said as he laughed, "You never cheat." Harry leaned over the chessboard and motioned for Ron to do the same. Ron followed his movement. Harry whispered, "And I know that you like Hermione." Ron recoiled back into his chair, stood up, and went even redder in the face.

"I do not!" Ron protested loudly. Several people turned to look at Ron because of his outburst, but Hermione did not even lift her eyes from her page. Ron sat down again, then whispered, "I do not like Hermione." As the words came out of his mouth Ron's mind shouted, "I DO like Hermione, I DO! Whenever I see her she makes me want to hug her, kiss her, touch her in someway, but I can't because she's my friend. If she knew that I liked her she would not spend nearly as much time around me and she would distance herself from me. I NEED to be around her."

Harry looked at Ron knowingly, "I've seen the way you look at her sometimes Ron. Like you just want to be beside her all day long. You didn't even look at Lavender like that last year. Maybe you should admit to it, and tell her." Ron stared at Harry, thinking about what he said. "How could he see all that? I thought I was keeping it hidden so well! He's right though. I should tell someone, maybe not her right now, but at least Harry." Ron thought. Ron took a deep breath and looked around.

"What are you looking at? Shove off already!" Ron yelled at several fifth years still staring in his direction. Harry smiled and shook his head at Ron's behavior. Satisfied that no one was listening, Ron turned back to Harry. "Ok, I admit it, I do like Hermione."

Harry nodded and watched as Ron struggled with himself openly. "I know that I shouldn't like her. I mean, I've been her friend for seven years! I try to tell myself that I don't like her, but my mind keeps overruling itself. I just can't get her out of my head Harry. Last year, when she got upset over me and Lavender, I was secretly happy. I thought that maybe she had the same feelings for me as I did for her. But since then she hasn't gave me a comment, motion, or word that suggests that we are more than just friends, or that we could be more." Ron buried his face in his arms.

Harry patted him on the arm and spoke quietly to him, "Gosh Ron. I didn't know that you had it that hard. I sort of understand though."

Ron's head snapped up from his arms. "You like Hermione too?" He asked, anger flashing across his face. A dangerous glint that Harry had learned to avoid appeared in his eyes.

"Um, No Ron. I was talking about um, Ginny, yeah, Ginny." Ron visibly relaxed and the glint left his eyes, only to be replaced with a look of hopelessness.

"I just don't know what to do Harry." Ron said despairingly as he stared down at the chessboard.

"Me neither Ron." Harry said as he patted Ron on the arm again. Harry sat back in his chair and continued to watch Ron stare at the chessboard, as if it yielded an answer to his internal turmoil. Harry thought, "Why did I have a problem naming Ginny as the one I like?" A little voice from the back of Harry's mind answered him, "Because you like Hermione idiot!" it squeaked. Harry blinked and carried on his conversation with the little voice, "I do not like Hermione! She's my friend, how could I like one of my best friends?" The little squeaky voice laughed and retorted, "That's exactly what Ron said, and look where he's at? Between choosing to lose a friendship for the sake of his heart, or choosing to stay the way he is and live with the consequences of him not chancing his friendship with Hermione." Harry cut off the voice thinking, "I don't like Hermione, and that's that." then a thought occurred to Harry, "Ron said that he tried to convince himself that he didn't like Hermione, but his mind overruled himself. Maybe that's what will happen to me! Ok Harry, just shut up. Ok, shut UP!" All this took place in the few seconds that Ron continued to stare at the chessboard. Hermione placed a book mark in her copy of "Hogwarts: A History", and looked over to see Ron staring at the chess board, and Harry looking at Ron intently.

"Harry, Ron, it's time for our next class." Ron blinked, got up, grabbed his school bag, and left the common's room. Hermione eyed his retreating back. "What's gotten into him?" she asked out loud.

"It's nothing." Harry said solemnly. Hermione shrugged and gathered her school supplies, books, and spare parchments and put them into her bag.

"We better get going Harry. We don't want to be late." She said as she stood up and prepared to leave.

"Alright." Harry replied, standing up and grabbing his bag. They exited together, Hermione wondering about Ron's strange behavior, and Harry pondering Ron's impossible, yet very true words. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Class "Ms. Weasley?" Professor Binn's droning, monotonous voice shattered Ginny's daydream. Ginny had been having a marvelous daydream in which she and Malfoy had been playing hide-and-go-seek in the Forbidden Forest. Every time they would find one another, instead of tagging one another, they would enjoy a sensual, long kiss. "Ms. Weasley!"

"Yes, Professor Binns?" Ginny said as she shook her head to rid herself of images of herself and Malfoy giggling together.

"Who discovered the use of Unicorn hairs combined with the hair of griffins?"

"Um… Laurel Longhair?" Ginny said carefully.

"Correct. Laurel Longhair was born in…" Professor Binns droned on and Ginny returned to her daydream, thinking, "Whoa, that was a close call. I'll pay attention in a minute, right after we finish playing hide-and-go-seek." Ginny smiled and stared out the window, lost in her daydream once again.  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Sinastra called on Malfoy, although Hermione's hand was raised in the air also.

"The runes translate to mean, "To lose one's heart is to lose one's sanity"  
"Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Now what could the author mean? Some wizards suggest that…" Professor Sinastra continued with her lesson. Malfoy grinned in Hermione's direction. "Humph! Little know-it-all. Why, if he wasn't so good looking, I'd hex him to kingdom come." Hermione thought as she frowned back at Malfoy's grinning face. "Whoa Hermione! Where in the world did that thought come from? You can not, I repeat CAN NOT! like Malfoy. He is yours and Ron's and Harry's enemy. You cannot harbor goodwill towards the enemy! Or fond thoughts for that matter. Ok, he is hot, in a sneering-little-snot-but-you-forget-about-that-when-you-look-at-him kind of way, but still!" Hermione watched as Malfoy's face changed. His smile faded and he began to look thoughtful. Hermione ignored him and turned her eyes to Professor Siniastra's complex diagram on the board in the front of the classroom.  
Malfoy was being thoughtful. He turned his head to look at the diagrams on the board. Every few seconds he would turn to glance at Hermione. "Hermione certainly has grown up over the last few months. Oh my! She is actually wearing mascara! And her hair is wavy, not at all like her normal rat's nest she calls hair. Hmmmm. Hermione is looking pretty good today. Dear Lord. Did I just suggest that Hermione Granger, the mud blood, is attractive? Malfoy, you handsome dog, she is way beneath you. Plus, she is a know-it-all. Wait, what did Professor Siniastra just say? We have a test tomorrow! Dang Malfoy, you have to drag your mind back to class. But Hermione does look quite good today." Malfoy glanced at Hermione appraisingly, smiled again, then he concentrated on the day's lesson.

Harry sat in his NEWT level Transfiguration class with his head propped up on the palm of his left hand. "Yeah, yeah. I know that you have to be quick when transfiguring an animal into an inanimate object." Harry thought lazily as he took notes with his right hand. Harry doodled a heart on a scrap piece of parchment laying beside his notes. He absently wrote initials in the heart as he listened to Professor McGonagall talk about the merits of animal transfiguring. Harry wrote down some more notes including, "In the wilderness, you can transfigure birds, insects, or mammals into food or survival necessities." Harry glanced at his doodle. There, inside the ink outlines of a heart, were the following letters: HP & HG. Harry's eyes widened and his head fell off his hand as he stared at what he had wrote. "Oh, My, God! Did I just write that?" Harry wondered as he looked at his intricate script. Harry glanced around to see if any one had saw his doodle. No one had. Harry sighed in gladness and slide the scrap of parchment bearing the doodle under his notes. He glanced up to continue taking notes from Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall was standing directly in front of Harry.

"Mr. Potter. What do you have haphazardly shoved under your notes that acquires your full attention, so that you do not hear me when I call upon you to answer my question?" Professor McGonagall questioned, looking down at Harry. All the other students were staring at Harry. Harry gulped.

"Nothing Professor. Just doodling a little." Harry answered as he sheepishly looked up at her, all the while thinking, "Please don't ask to see it Professor. Please! It would be hard to explain, especially since I don't even understand it."

Professor McGonagall must have seen something in his eyes, because she sighed, then spoke, "Very well Harry. The question was: What is the incantation to change an ant into a muffin?"

Harry blinked and smiled. "Insectio Muffino."

"Correct." Professor McGonagall smiled back at Harry and went to the front of the room to continue with her lesson. Harry gulped again, thinking, "Thank you Professor McGonagall. I have to think about this." Harry looked around to make sure that no one was looking, then he deftly folded the doodled upon parchment and put it into his robes' pocket wondering what had become of his mind.

Ron sat in the prefect's bathroom, dangling his feet into the pearly white Jasmine scented bubbles that filled the swimming pool sized tub. Ron looked down at the picture in his lap. Ron, Harry and Hermione were in the picture, joking, laughing, and carrying on. Ron on Hermione's left, and Harry on Hermione's right. He remembered the feeling's that had consumed him when the picture was taken. Ron looked at his laughing and smiling face. "I was so happy. Being close to Hermione. Humph, look at me with my arm around Hermione. I did that without her caring. I was so confused that day too. Ha! Harry and I just hugged her at the same time. Wow, Harry, Hermione, and I look so content. Harry…. Why did he look so embarrassed when I asked him if he liked Hermione. And why did it take so long for him to answer? What if he bloody like's Hermione, but he won't tell me because I told him first that I like Hermione! No, Harry is a good friend. He wouldn't like the same girl as me. Plus, he likes the athletic types and I tend to go for the academic brunettes. Who was it he used to like? Oh yeah, Cho Chang and Ginny. Ginny…. She seems to be a little off lately. She must be lonely after breaking up with Dean. Oh well. She'll level out." Ron looked up at the door. He heard the sound of feet passing the door. A lot of people's feet. "Dang!" Ron exclaimed as he jerked his feet out of the water and emptied the bath tub in one motion. He started out of the bathroom, acting casual. "I was supposed to be in the bathroom for a few minutes. Cripes! I must have stayed in here for the whole class! I have to go to dinner! Wait, should I go explain to Professor Flitwick? Naw, he'll understand. I'll pick up my bag when we leave dinner." Ron hurried down the corridor heading towards the Great Hall. 


End file.
